Independent Banker - February 2022 - 73

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1986, Budny joined the bank as a
full-time employee.
" Serving these loyal people became
the center of the bank's mission
statement as it grew, " he says. " It just
gives me a good feeling in my heart
knowing that I can help people. "
A pillar of the community
Employee loyalty and longevity help
make Pulaski Savings Bank wellrespected
in its community. In the
1950s, a widowed woman living on
Social Security attempted to get a loan
to purchase a home. The first bank
she visited turned her down. She then
went to Pulaski Savings Bank, which
granted her the loan.
The experience had an impact on
the woman's young daughter, who
began working at the bank as a teller
when she turned 16. More than a
half-century later, that woman, Jane
Rogocki, is still with the bank, now as
executive vice president.
" We took some photographs for our
100th anniversary in 1990, including
several of our employees at the time, "
Budny says. " Looking at that photo,
which is over 30 years ago, four of the
six employees who were in that photo,
in addition to Jane and myself, are
still working here. And most of those
had begun working here long before
that photo was taken. We have almost
no turnover. "
The community bank's dedicated
staff is one of the reasons it has
been able to build and maintain
strong customer relationships. " Our
employees know our customers
personally, and our customers know
us and our employees personally, "
Budny says. " In fact, many of
our customers have their own
favorite tellers. "
Employee longevity is also reflected
in its customers. " We now have
customers who are the grandchildren
of some of our customers from years
" We are there for our customers when
they need something. We listen and offer
a solution that we feel is best for the
customer, not necessarily for the bank. "
-ROGER A. BUDNY, PULASKI SAVINGS BANK
past, " he says. " Many of them even
recall their grandparents bringing
them in as children to open their first
passbook savings accounts. "
4 keys to long-term success
Beyond employee longevity, Budny
and Rogocki identify four factors in
the bank's continued success, even
when its community has continued to
evolve over the years.
The first is service tailored to
each customer's needs. " We give our
customers what they need and want,
while many other banks give them
what the bank wants them to have
and what the bank thinks they need, "
Budny says. " We are there for our
customers when they need something.
We listen and offer a solution that
we feel is best for the customer, not
necessarily for the bank. "
Another is education, much of it
done one-on-one with customers.
For example, staff walk mortgage
customers through their options.
" We explain the whole process and
then discuss what they would be able
to afford, " Rogocki says. " We have
these conversations before they even
apply for a mortgage, so that we know
that they understand everything that
is involved. "
The community bank also helps
customers save money, including
avoiding unnecessary charges.
If staff see that a customer may
overdraw from their account, they
will often call and encourage them to
come in that day to make a deposit
to cover the shortfall. " Other banks
would simply allow the account to
be overdrawn and then penalize
the customer financially for being
overdrawn, " Budny says.
Finally, Pulaski Savings Bank
provides visible support for the
community, from sponsoring
student sports teams to supporting
fundraisers for local community
organizations.
For all these reasons, Pulaski
Savings Bank has found that it
needs to do very little in the way of
marketing itself.
" Because of our unwavering
commitment to serving our
customers in a very personal
manner, and providing them
with exactly what they want,
we have never had to engage in
much marketing, " Budny says.
" We succeed in continuing to gain
new business via word of mouth.
Satisfy someone, and they will tell
their friends. " 
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org Q 73
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - February 2022

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